


Fifteen Months

by aibidil



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aibidil/pseuds/aibidil
Summary: It's the night James turns fifteen months old, and Harry can't sleep.





	Fifteen Months

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoldenTruth813](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenTruth813/gifts).



> For "watching you sleep," "father and son"

The house was dark and completely silent as Harry walked down the corridor to James's room. He stepped deliberately, waiting for the creaks of the floor to cease before taking the next step. He opened the door.

James slept soundly in his cot, the moonlight coming through his window to light up his sweet face. He looked enormous. He took up nearly half the cot now, and he wore the pyjamas with the little grippy feet—too big for the swaddles and wraps he'd favoured as an infant.

Harry's chest clenched with an impossible mix of pain and love. 

He wondered if parents ever got tired of watching their children sleep. It was a strange experience, after the chaos of the day, to see James looking so cherubic. In sleep, he no longer babbled and laughed and made the baby sign for "more"—more milk, more yogurt, more bouncing, more _everything_.

Harry wanted to hold his baby, but that might wake him up. Fuck it. Harry inhaled and held a breath, reaching under James's little armpits and picking up his solid weight. James stirred and Harry murmured a little "shh, shh, Daddy's here", shifting James to rest his head against Harry's shoulder. James settled again, his lips making an involuntary sucking motion, as if his little mouth expected even in sleep to find something to drink or soothe him.

"You're fifteen months today," Harry whispered, feeling hot tears pricking at his eyes. "I love you so much. You're going to have so, so much more time with parents who love you." 

James's lips sucked again.

Harry let the tears come and held James tight.


End file.
